Wednesday, June 16, 2010

This weekend The Homegrown String Band will be part of The 21st Annual Old Time Fiddlers' Gathering presented by The Arts Council of The Southern Finger Lakes at Watkins Glen State Park. We'll be there on Sunday the 20th. The music starts at 1 pm, our set is at 2:30. In addition to our stage show Rick will be facilitating a beginning clawhammer banjo workshop (4:30 pm) and Erica will be presenting a fiddle workshop (1pm) that will focus on improvising in a band situation.

Come on out for a great day of eclectic acoustic music and hear some fine fiddling in a variety of musical contexts. For more info contact the Arts Council @ 607.962.5871

Sunday, June 13, 2010

This past week we harvested scapes off the 60 garlic plants that sprouted from the cloves I planted in the fall. The scape is the flower stalk and bud of the garlic plant. According to conventional wisdom, breaking off the stalk as soon as it starts to curl will encourage the development of bigger, tastier garlic bulbs. There is some debate on if and when the scapes should be removed. Some say that though the bulbs will be a bit smaller, they will store better if the scape is left on longer. We decided to go for bigger bulbs figuring we will use them quick enough. Another benefit to removing the scapes is they are quite tasty themselves. We roasted some scapes with olive oil, salt and pepper in our solar oven and they were delicious. The taste and texture was kind of like a cross between garlic and string beans.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Another day on the farm for the Homegrown String Band. This weekend, Sunday, June 6th, we will once again be part of the Edwards Farm Day festivities. This is an historical restoration site on the grounds of the Sayville Historical Society. The restored farmhouse and museum will be open, and there will be lots of activities for the kids, including pony rides, petting zoo, homemade ice cream, fiber arts demonstrations, and a sound track provided by The Homegrown String Band. The event is rain or shine. If the weather doesn't cooperate, we will play two sets inside the museum. See ya there!

The Sayville Historical Society is on the n/e corner of Collins Avenue and Edwards Street, one block south of the Sayville Library. Any questions call the Society at 563-0186.